Minimal-coverage undergarments

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a garment ( 1 ) having an attachment section ( 4 ) and a coverage section ( 2 ) connected with the attachment section ( 4 ) at a contact section ( 3 ). The coverage section ( 2 ) has holding means ( 10 ) with two holding parts ( 10 A,  10 B) for receiving both sides of the labia gap between the outer and inner labia. There are coverage means ( 11 ) between the holding parts ( 10 A,  10 B), to cover the area between the holding parts ( 10 A,  10 B).

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims the benefit of European Patent Application No.EP14178178.1, filed Jul. 23, 2014, the entirety of which is herebyincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to undergarments, especially underwear forwomen, with a minimum coverage of the genitals.

2. Description of the Related Art

Since sexual education and, in particular in recent years, anever-increasing tendency can be seen to present one's body naked.Countless alleged taboos have been broken over time. No termination ofthis trend is in sight. One way this could be recognised in the past wasthe altering of outerwear, for example by shortening trousers, skirts,blouses or T-shirts, closer-fitting sections of clothing, etc.

Among women as well as among men, a trend may also be seen of wearingunderwear in a visible manner, which has even led to different layersbeing used in underwear, namely an upper visible layer and an underlyingsub-layer of clothing that should not be visible.

Furthermore, one can also see a trend in wearing underwear whereby oneshould not be able to determine whether underwear is worn or not. Thusit is intended to avoid underwear being distinguished, for example,under close-fitting outerwear.

There is thus the desire among many users and especially among manywomen to wear underwear that is not recognizable, or as little aspossible, to third parties. In addition, this underwear should at leastensure minimum protection of intimate areas.

In addition, based on a changed aesthetic standard, partial or completedepilation of intimate areas is already in vogue among a significantproportion of women and men. Added to this is a social acceptance ofso-called string thongs or corresponding swimwear, which offer little orno coverage of the buttocks of wearers.

A resultant, to-be-expected further development is that the coverage ofthe front pubic area, especially in depilated intimate areas, will alsobe reduced, down to a minimum level of coverage.

This development may have, in particular, an erotic motivation as manypeople find it stimulating to see a male or female partner bared in thisway, or to look practically naked. Nevertheless, there is, of course, onthe part of the wearer, especially of women, the desire to cover themost sensitive parts of the body, in the case of women, the clitoris,the labia minora and the bodily orifices (urethra, vagina and/or anus)and, in particular, to protect them from contamination and infections.

However, such minimum coverage presents a problem in ensuringsimultaneous secure holding of the garment and achieving a comfortablefit.

BE 10 168 94 A6 discloses an attachment system for a condom catheter forattachment to the female genitals, whereby an attachment section isattached to the inside of the outer labia.

Such an attachment system, applied to an everyday garment, however, hasthe disadvantage that wearer comfort is impaired due to sticking to theskin.

Other modifications of underwear articles are also known. On the onehand, these at least partially cover the outer genitals, but lead, onthe other hand, to constrictions after a short period of wearing them,that may even become painful in the case of extended wear.

It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a garment whichoffers a comfortable fit with simultaneous minimal body covering of theintimate areas.

This object is achieved with a garment according to claim 1.Advantageous further developments are the subject of the dependentclaims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

For a better understanding of the invention, the following definitionsof the external and internal female genital area need to be given first,in the sense of the invention. The external female genitals (vulva)includes the labia majora (the labia majora is also referred to hereinas the outer labia), which envelops the inner genitals with a centralfurrow/gap in which the inner genitals are enclosed. The internal femalegenitals include the inner labia (the labia minora is also referred toherein as the inner labia) with its centrally positioned clitoris, aswell as the three orifices—the anus, the vagina and the urethra—wherebythe vagina and urethra are enclosed by the labia minora. Anatomicalvariants include smaller and larger inner labia that are externallyvisible through the furrow under certain circumstances. In what follows,one refers to the outer and inner genitals.

A garment, according to an embodiment of the invention, has anattachment section and a coverage section, which, for example, areconnected to a contact section via the attachment section. The coveragesection has holding means with two holding parts. The holding meansserve to receive the coverage section, whereby, in the case of thefemale anatomy, this is in the furrow between the labia majora of thefemale genitals. The holding means are so formed that they are receivedbetween the labia majora and positioned between the outer and innerlabia on both sides. The area outside of the labia majora is not coveredby the garment. The attachment section may be configured to hold thegarment on the wearer, for example, at the hip.

The area between an inner side of the labia majora and an outer side ofthe labia minora is referred to as the labia gap in what follows. “Bothsides”, in this case, refers to a left and a right part of the body of awearer of the garment. Geometrically, the term “both sides” refers tothe symmetry of the human anatomy, whereby the female genitals aresubstantially symmetrical about a plane of symmetry, and the garmentaccording to the invention is designed according to this symmetry.

In addition, the holding means comprise two parts, each of which extendsalong one of the sides of the furrow to the right or left of the labiagap. Coverage means are formed between these parts of the holding means,and, upon putting on the garment, are intended to minimally cover thearea lying between the two parts of the holding means, and thus theintimate area when the garment is worn.

In this way, a garment is provided which offers minimum coverage of theinner genitals, while completely uncovering the external genitals.Comfortable fitting of the garment is also guaranteed by receiving theholding parts in the two labia gaps.

It is thus conceivable that the holding means are arranged to be movablewith respect to one another, and held apart from a contact point in anunloaded state, at least in a partial section. Reception in the labiagaps may then be effected by means of a force directed at the innersides of the outer labia. This force may be a spring force introduced byan external force, for example by the holding parts being forcedtogether against their original orientation. Thus, the holding means maybe clamped in the furrow enabling the garment to be held firmly.

In some embodiments, the holding parts of the holding means may be, inparticular, two curved, in particular two convex, holding parts. Theholding parts may advantageously be formed as a solid stays having acurvature or bend in order to adapt themselves to the anatomy of thewearer, and thus allow safer and more comfortable support. Convex asused here means a curve that is directed away from the wearer's bodywhen the garment is worn. The holding parts or holding areas may beconvex and spread apart from one another, whereby the holding partscontact one another at two points, for example, at the ends. The twoholding parts may be formed as one piece.

The holding parts or holding areas may also comprise a flexiblematerial. Thus, the holding parts or holding areas may be adapted to theprevailing anatomy. This allows individual adaptation to many differentanatomies. Thus, a majority of people with different anatomicalconditions may wear the garment.

The holding means may be formed integrally. This means that the holdingparts and/or the holding areas are integrally formed.

In alternative embodiments, the holding means comprise two cordsections. “Cord section” as used here means a section, or the entireholding part, that is formed by a string, cord, braid, ribbon and thelike, produced in a conventional manner. The material used for the cordsection may be any suitable material, including flexible materials,plastics, textiles, leather, elastic bands, latex and others.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, these cord sections aredesigned to be elastic or at least partially elastic. Such cord sectionsmay be made of a material that is intended to increase comfort. Inaddition, a cord section, in particular a flexibly-formed cord section,can adapt well to the anatomy and thus increase wearing comfort.

In further advantageous embodiments, the holding means comprise a wire.The wire may preferably be formed from a nickel-titanium compound orcontain such a nickel-titanium compound. More preferably, the wire formsa framework comprising, in particular, the nickel-titanium compound thatis also referred to as Nitinol. In this case, the wire is advantageouslyelastically and/or plastically deformable. The framework may have apredetermined width, length and curvature to form the “cup” as alreadydescribed above. Thus, a garment may be created that may be adapted tothe prevailing anatomical conditions before use.

The holding means may comprise a biocompatible material, a plasticmaterial and/or silicone. The use of a biocompatible material isadvantageous because the wearer will not be subject to any skinreactions or skin irritation.

In some embodiments, the holding parts and/or the holding means compriseplastic material or consist entirely of plastic material. In addition,the holding parts may have a coating, advantageously a plastic coatingor rubber coating. This brings with it the advantage that a longer shelflife can be achieved, and deformation in the course of the life cycle ofthe garment can be minimised. In addition, the fit of the garment maythus be improved.

Thus, generally speaking, the material has a stiffener element. Due tothe elastic properties of the material, the material also has a shapememory. In addition, in some embodiments, special materials with ashape-memory are conceivable that, due to physical properties, such astemperature, current, voltage, etc., may adopt a predetermined shape.

In addition, in some embodiments, the wire is substantially rigid atroom temperature. However, a wire may be formed at temperatures between30° C. and 45° C., preferably between 35° C. and 40° C., in particularbetween 36° C. and 37.5° C. This property may be created by anappropriate choice of the material, such as Nitinol, or by appropriatematerial production, for example, by the addition of plasticisers toplastic, as is well known.

In some embodiments, the coverage means are of a textile material. Inparticular, the material of the coverage means may be fully or partiallymade of natural fibres such as silk, cotton or the like, or syntheticfibres such as Jersey, Lyra, elastomers and the like, as well asmixtures of various materials. In particular, the material of thecoverage means may be designed to be elastic. This enables theachievement of better comfort and a tighter fit of the garment.

In some embodiments, the coverage means may have a predetermined convexshape, or they may be brought into a curved convex shape. This can bemade possible by the material being convexly pre-formed in the sense ofa longitudinal “pocket”. The shape is so designed that the coveragemeans are shaped to receive the body parts to be covered between theouter labia. In this way, the supports of the garment may facilitate thecoverage the desired body parts.

The holding parts that may be jointly referred to as a linkage or aframework may be woven from the material of the coverage means, orinterwoven with it, or be otherwise associated with it, such as throughgluing, stitching, fusing, or the like.

In some embodiments, the holding parts of the holding means may contactone another at least one first contact point. The predetermined shape isso designed that the holding parts each extend in a general longitudinaldirection at a predetermined angle from the first contact point. Thelongitudinal direction is a direction that leads from the front side ofthe body along the furrow towards the anus. Due to the bulging form ofthe holding parts, the holding parts each extend from the contact pointalong the inner sides of the outer labia.

In the case of a convex, i.e. outwardly directed, curvature, the holdingparts meet each other again at a predetermined section. This section, atwhich the holding parts meet one another, forms a second contact point.The holding parts form, by means of this predetermined curved shapewhich leads from one contact point to another contact point, a shapecorresponding to a contour of a spherical cap or an ellipsoid cap, whichmay be simply described as “cup-shaped”.

Thus, the shape of the garment is already defined prior to wearing, andallows reception in the labia gap and coverage of the body parts to becovered. Thus, basic adaptation to the body anatomy may also be carriedout even during the manufacture of the garment.

The angle adopted by the holding parts with respect to one anotherlargely determines the degree of coverage of the body parts to becovered. This angle is thus also dependent on the anatomy. A very acuteangle between the holding parts means a very narrow shape of the cup. Aless acute angle leads to a broader cup. The distance between theholding parts in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal directionis referred to by its breadth.

Adaptation to the female anatomy may thus be effected by selecting theangle. It should be noted that the furrow between the outer labia isgenerally between about 6 to about 12 mm wide and about 8 to about 20 mmhigh.

In addition, the length of the inner genitals may between about 7 toabout 12 cm, or in consideration of the anus and the space between about12 to about 18 cm. The height of the inner genitals generally variesbetween about 5 and about 25 mm. This may therefore extend beyond theouter genitals. The above-described aspects in the arrangement of theholding parts and the coverage means allow improved adaptation to theprevailing anatomy.

A preferred length of the coverage means corresponds to the length ofthe inner genitals, or about 7 to about 12 cm, or between about 12 toabout 18 cm if one includes the anus.

In some embodiments, adjusting means are provided for adjusting theangle or length of the cup between the holding parts and/or the holdingmeans, i.e. the length of a coverage section. The adjusting means may,for example, vary the position of the first contact point. Thisvariation may occur, in particular, in the longitudinal direction. Thewidth of the area covered is pre-determined according to the anatomy. Achange of the contact point towards an extension of the covered areathus leads to a reduction in the angle between the holding parts. In thecase of reduced coverage area, the reverse is accordingly true.

It is particularly conceivable that the holding parts between thecontact section with the fixing section and the contact point of theholding parts run parallel to one another or are attached to one anotheror are in contact with one another and extend from the contact point atan angle to one another corresponding to the position of the contactpoint. The closer the contact point is arranged with respect to thecontact section, the longer will be the area covered by the coveragemeans. Preferably, the coverage means are of a highly elastic materialin this case. It is also conceivable that the coverage means aredesigned only for a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction,and do not span the entire area between the holding parts.

In some embodiments of the invention, the adjusting means are formed asa zip. By opening or closing the zip, the contact point, i.e. the pointat which the zip is unzipped, may be changed. This may then beindividually adjusted and positioned.

In some embodiments, the contact section is formed as an eyelet. Thecontact section may also be formed as a X or a Y-shaped connecting pieceor comprise such a connecting piece.

This kind of contact section allows attachment to the attachment sectionin various ways. In the case of an eyelet, a tape, string, elastic bandor the like may be attached in order to wear the garment on the body.This attachment is thus used for attachment to the attachment section ofthe garment.

Alternatively one may, of course, also dispense with such an eyelet andpass the holding means or the holding parts directly through a band, acord, an elastic band, or similar suitable means. This may increase theaesthetics of the garment and allow simplified manufacturing.

In some embodiments, the X or Y-shaped connecting piece may be traversedby a round elastic band or similar plastic material, or be brought intocontact therewith. Thus, a framing of the inner genitals may be ensuredby arranging the opening angle between the holding parts according tothe specific form of the connecting piece.

An analogous connecting piece may also be provided in an anatomicallyrear area in the region of the anus. Thus, the coverage of the internalgenitals may be ensured by the position of the connecting piece. Thus,in particular, a Y-shaped connecting piece may ensure the outlet of thegarment through the natal cleft.

An X-shaped connecting piece in an anatomically front area allowscoverage of any remaining hairiness in a simple way. For example, amaterial may be attached to the contact point between the opening legsof the X-shaped connecting piece.

The connecting pieces may be of metal and/or plastic. The connectingpieces may also be hollow. In addition, the connecting pieces mayadvantageously also be elastic. This may allow higher wearer comfort,durability or simplified production.

The provision of connecting pieces also allows, in particular, theholding means to be combined with any other lightweight form ofundergarment, or to be attached to other known forms of undergarmentsthrough corresponding attachment sections. This allows the widest rangeof applications of the present invention.

The undergarment may comprise means for attaching a connecting piece.

In particular, in some embodiments, the garment may be an undergarment,in particular a pair of underpants, a slip, jazz pants, a thong, astring thong, a pair of panties or a combination thereof. Alternatively,the garment may also be swimwear, especially swimming trunks, a bikinibottom or part of a swimsuit.

The coverage means may be attached to the other garment by means of theholding section, or may be integrally formed with the garment. In thelatter case, for example, the holding means may be sewn into thegarment.

These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunctionwith the following drawings. As would be obvious to one skilled in theart, many variations and modifications of the invention may be effectedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of thedisclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows part of a garment according to the invention according to afirst embodiment.

FIGS. 2A-2B show schematic diagram of a further embodiment of theinvention in which FIG. 2A is a side view and FIG. 2B is a plan view;

FIGS. 3A-3C show schematic diagrams of a further embodiment of theinvention in which FIG. 3A is a side view, FIG. 3B is a top view andFIG. 3C is a modified form; and

FIG. 4 shows a garment according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment of the invention is now described in detail.Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like parts throughoutthe views. Unless otherwise specifically indicated in the disclosurethat follows, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. As usedin the description herein and throughout the claims, the following termstake the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the contextclearly dictates otherwise: the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includesplural reference, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on.”

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a coverage section 2 of a garment 1according to one embodiment of the invention. The coverage section 2 hasa holding means 10 comprising two holding parts 10A, 10B. The holdingparts 10A, 10B have a bent form and extend from a contact section 3 withan eyelet 20A to a second contact section 3 with an eyelet 20B. Due tothe curvature of the holding parts 10A, 10B, the contour here forms asubstantially ellipsoid cup. The holding parts 10A, 10B thus form adomed structure with the contact points 3 and with the eyelets 20A, 20B.

Although not shown in the presentation, this framework may have acurvature, which, in deviating from the idealised model ellipsoid cap,recreates the female anatomy in the region of the inner genitals. Suchgeometric comparisons are given only to serve the description and do notlimit the invention to such descriptions.

A fabric 11 is provided between the holding parts 10A, 10B of thecoverage section 2. The fabric 11 is so dimensioned that it furtherdevelops into an expanding pocket-like area in the direction of thecurvature of the holding parts 10A, 10B. This area is so dimensioned andshaped that it can accommodate the inner female genitals. The shape ofthe component formed by the fabric 11 and the framework consisting ofthe holding parts 10A, 10B, may be described as cup-shaped.

The eyelets 20A, 20B shown in FIG. 1 are annular. One end of each of theholding parts 10A, 10B is in contact with the eyelets 20A, 20B. For thispurpose, both the holding sections 10A, 10B as well as the eyelets 20A,20B may be wrapped around with the same fabric. It is also conceivablethat the holding parts 10A, 10B be attached to the eyelets 20A, 20B, orotherwise secured. In addition, the eyelets 20A, 20B and the holdingparts 10A, 10B may be integrally formed.

In each case, an attachment section 4 formed of attachment elements 12extends from the eyelets 20A, 20B away from the coverage means 2. Theattachment elements 12 here have a band-like form. The attachments 12pass via or are connected with the rest of the garment 1, as describedlater in reference to FIG. 4.

FIG. 2 a shows a side view of the coverage section 2 of FIG. 1. The sameor similar parts are designated by the same reference numerals, andthere is no repetition of the description for reasons of conciseness.

The cup shape of the coverage section 2 can be clearly seen in FIG. 2 a.Only one of the holding parts 10A can be seen in the figure,. The otherholding part 10B of the holding means 2 is obscured by the visibleholding part 10A. In this case, the curvature of the holding parts 10A,10B in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction may beclearly seen. The fabric 11 of the holding means 2 is bulged in the samedirection as the curvature of the holding parts 10A, 10B. In this case,the fabric 11 extends further in the direction of curvature than theholding parts 10A, 10B. Thus, the holding parts 10A, 10B may be receivedbetween the inner and outer labia, while the inner genitals may bereceived by the fabric 11, which may also extend beyond the contours ofthe outer labia. Thus safer and more convenient holding is possible.

FIG. 2 b shows a plan view of the coverage section 2 of FIG. 2 a. Inthis case, the curvature of the holding parts 10A, 10B may be seen in awidth direction, i.e. in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinaldirection and perpendicular to the curvature of the fabric. Thiscurvature ensures that the internal genitals may be securely received ina width direction as well, and that the holding parts may be securelyreceived in the labia gap.

FIG. 3 a shows a further embodiment of a coverage section 2 in aperspective view. As may be seen, an X-shaped connecting piece 21 isformed at one of the contact sections 3, instead of an eyelet as in thepreviously described embodiments. The X-shaped connecting piece 21 hastwo intersecting legs which are connected to the coverage section 2 of aside facing the holding parts 10A, 10B.

Two attachment elements 21 extend from the remaining two free ends fromthe X-shaped connecting piece 12 to each of the legs of the X-shapedconnecting piece 21. The attachment elements 12 are connected to thelegs of the connecting piece 21. However, the attachment elements 12 mayalso pass directly into the legs or be integrally formed with the legs.

Instead of an eyelet at the second contact point 3A, there is a Y-shapedconnecting piece 22, which can also be described as a λ-shapedconnecting piece. The Y-shaped connecting piece 22 has two legs facingthe coverage section 2 that run together and merge into a further singlestrand 12A. The attachment or connection of the Y-shaped connectingpiece 22 with the coverage section 2 and the holding parts 10A, 10B andwith the strand 12A may be effected in the same way as for the X-shapedconnecting piece 21.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 a, the X-shaped connecting piece isarranged in a front area of the garment 1, i.e. an area facing the frontside of the body. The Y-shaped connecting piece, however, is provided ina rear area of the garment.

FIG. 3 b shows the embodiment of FIG. 3 a. In a plan view from above.

FIG. 3 c shows a further embodiment of the present invention, again inplan view. In this case, a Y-shaped connecting piece 22 is formed bothin a front area as well as in a rear area of the coverage section 2. Ineach case, two legs of the connecting piece face the coverage section 2and a free strand 12A faces the attachment section 4 of the garment 1.

Of course, Y-shaped connecting pieces and X-shaped connecting pieces maybe freely combined, for example, a Y-shaped connecting piece in a frontarea and an X-shaped connecting piece in a rear area. The eyelets may befreely combined with the X or Y-shaped connecting pieces, so that afront contact point has an eyelet and a rear contact point has an X orY-shaped connecting piece, or vice versa.

FIG. 4 shows a garment 1 according to the present invention. Inparticular, the attachment section 4 can be seen. The attachment section4 is connected to the eyelets 20A, 20B. In alternative embodiments, theattachment section 4 is connected analogously with the connecting pieces20A, 20B.

This connection may be made, for example, by threading a connectingstring, such as an elastic band or a fabric belt through the eyelets20A, 20B, or by wrapping it around the eyelets 20A, 20B. In this way,the coverage section 2 may be combined with a variety of garments 1, inthe present embodiment of FIG. 4, with a string thong.

Other combinations with other garments such as briefs, jazz pants,thongs, panties, or a combination thereof, or with swimwear such asswimming trunks, bikini bottom parts or parts of a swimsuit, arepossible in an analogous manner, and are accordingly also encompassed bythe inventive concept.

The above described embodiments, while including the preferredembodiment and the best mode of the invention known to the inventor atthe time of filing, are given as illustrative examples only. It will bereadily appreciated that many deviations may be made from the specificembodiments disclosed in this specification without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of theinvention is to be determined by the claims below rather than beinglimited to the specifically described embodiments above.

What is claimed is:
 1. A garment comprising: an attachment section; anda coverage section connected to the attachment section, whereby thecoverage section comprises a holding means having two holding parts forreceiving the outer and inner labia on both sides of the labia gapbetween and whereby between the holding parts, coverage means are formedto cover the area between the holding parts.
 2. The garment according toclaim 1, wherein the holding parts of the holding means are two curved,especially convex, holding parts.
 3. The garment according to claim 1,wherein the holding parts of the holding means are two, in particularelastic, cord sections.
 4. The garment according to one of the claims 1,wherein the holding means are integrally formed.
 5. The garmentaccording to claim 1, wherein the holding means comprises a deviceselected from a list consisting of: a wire, in particular a wire made ofa nickel-titanium compound, a plastic material, a biocompatible materialand silicone.
 6. The garment according to claim 5, wherein the holdingmeans and/or the holding parts are deformable at temperatures between30° C. and 45° C., preferably between 35° C. and 40° C., in particularbetween 36° C. and 37.5° C.
 7. The garment according to claim 1, whereinthe coverage means comprise a textile material.
 8. The garment accordingto claim 1, wherein the coverage means comprise an elastic material. 9.The garment according to claim 1, wherein the coverage means have aconvexly curved shape or may be brought into a convex curved shape, forreceiving body parts between the outer labia to be covered.
 10. Thegarment according to claim 1, wherein the holding parts are in contactwith one another at least at one first contact point, and extend in ageneral longitudinal direction at a predetermined angle to one anotherfrom the first contact point.
 11. The garment according to claim 10,wherein the holding parts are in mutual contact at a second point ofcontact, in particular in the area of the anus or the space between. 12.The garment according to claim 10, wherein adjusting means are providedon the holding means and/or on one or both holding parts to adjust theangle or the length of a coverage area between the holding parts. 13.The garment according to claim 12, wherein the adjusting means are azip.
 14. The garment according to claim 1, wherein the attachmentsection is connected with the coverage section through a contactsection, whereby the contact section is an eyelet or an X or a Y-shapedconnecting piece.
 15. The garment according to claim 1, wherein thegarment is an undergarment, in particular a pair of underpants, a slip,a jazz pants, a thong, a string thong, a pair of panties or acombination thereof, or swimwear, in particular swimming trunks, abikini bottom or part of a swimsuit.